In the November 4 election, Escambia County residents will be asked to vote on various topics that will impact our community, such as the Local Option Sales Tax, or simply LOST.
Long-time County residents may recall that LOST was first approved by Escambia County voters in 1992. It was again approved in 1997 and 2006 with the current round expiring in 2017.
A brief overview of LOST
- LOST is a revenue source that places an additional one percent sales tax on most retail purchases in Escambia County that residents and tourists alike contribute to through the purchases of goods and services. Tourists alone support 35 percent of LOST proceeds.
- Since its inception, LOST funding has allowed the County to fund improvements to our community without significant increases to property taxes.
- Examples of the types of expenses allowed under LOST are: transportation improvements, including bridges and dirt road paving; sidewalk construction; drainage projects; sidewalks; enhancements to library and community centers; public safety improvements, including the purchase of emergency vehicles; development of recreational facilities; economic development infrastructure initiatives; protection of natural resources and improvements to County court facilities.
- By the end of LOST III in December 2017, more than $215 million will be spent to construct new highways and drainage throughout the County. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office will receive funds from LOST to the tune of $58.5 million, while investments in fire services and other public safety functions will top $62 million. More than $215 million will be used to build and maintain public facilities and more than $3 million will be used for the court system.
Escambia County wants to know what projects are most important to you.
TAKE A SHORT SURVEY TO SHARE YOUR VOICE WITH US. (This survey is now closed. Please take one of our other online surveys regarding: Customer Satisfaction with Public Safety Services or Parks & Community Centers.)
Upcoming Meeting Schedule:
- Tuesday, October 7, 5:30 p.m. at Charity Chapel, 5820 Montgomery Ave
- Tuesday, October 14, 5:30 p.m. at Brownsville Community Center, 3100 West DeSoto Street
- Thursday, October 16, 5:30 p.m. at Perdido Bay Community Center, 13660 Innerarity Point Road
- Monday, October 20, 5:30 p.m. at Hillcrest Baptist Church, 800 Nine Mile Road
- Thursday, October 23, 5:30 p.m. at Jim Bailey Middle School, 4110 Bauer Road
- Tuesday, October 28, 6 p.m. at Pensacola Beach Community Church, 918 Panferio Drive
Additional public meetings will be held through November, with the dates to be announced on this web site, posted to the MyEscambia.com calendar.
For more information, visit MyEscambia.com/community/lost, follow @EscambiaLOST on Twitter for forthcoming information and email [email protected].
